Electronic products used in aerospace applications and for scientific research have two key requirements: They must have both the high performance and the reliability to withstand intense environments. To attain that performance, electronics designers often use small parts and routinely push them to their limits. But that means the parts get hot. If they get too hot, they can’t be counted on to work reliably. Sometimes, they even break.

While IR cameras are nothing new, the latest high-speed variants bring with them new functionality, benefits, and a few limitations. This Q&A seeks to shed light on some of those functions, benefits, and limitations, and address some of the key questions often asked about the technology.

Investigators are continuously searching for an optimal solution for finding concrete blood evidence in less-than-ideal circumstances. This is especially important when working with fabrics carrying diluted blood stains, which could easily be affected by the common practice of adding liquid luminol. Here, researchers are investigating an alternative method for detecting and recording evidence of biological fluids. With the use of steam and infrared cameras, the team was able to visualize blood with astonishing chemical contrast.

Mosquitos cause constant concern in tropical regions since they can carry deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and the Zika virus. Amid the global efforts to control outbreaks of Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases, new efforts are being made to develop natural mosquito repellents that can grow easily in affected regions. One plant that shows promise is catnip. Researchers have developed a “super-catnip” with enhanced bioactive compounds while making it easier to grow commercially.

Tissue auto-fluorescence spectroscopy is used to differentiate between normal and diseased tissue. This technique measures the intrinsic light emissions from biological agents upon excitation by a light source, but the relationship between auto-fluorescence and temperature has not been well defined.